1 November, 2015
Tracking studies normally focus on long-distance migrants, meaning that our understanding about short-distance migration remains limited. In this study, we present the first individual tracks of the Eurasian golden plover…1 November, 2015 by Alex Burton-Johnson, Teal Riley
The allochthonous terrane accretion model previously proposed for the geological development of the Antarctic Peninsula continental margin arc is reviewed in light of recent data and the geology is reinterpreted…1 November, 2015 by Richard Phillips
1. There is growing interest in the effects of wind on wild animals, given evidence that wind speeds are increasing and becoming more variable in some regions, particularly at temperate…Read more on Contrasting responses of male and female foraging effort to year-round wind conditions
1 November, 2015 by Christopher Darvill
The timing and extent of former glacial advances can demonstrate leads and lags during periods of climatic change and their forcing, but this requires robust glacial chronologies. In parts of…1 November, 2015 by Dave Munday
The influence of different wind stress bulk formulae on the response of the Southern Ocean circulation to wind stress changes is investigated using an idealised channel model. Surface/mixed layer properties…1 November, 2015 by Catharine Horswill, Iain Staniland, Norman Ratcliffe, Philip Trathan, Simeon Hill, Stacey Adlard
Aim To infer the potential for competition between an important Antarctic predator, the macaroni penguin, and the krill fishery by examining the spatial overlap in prey consumption and catches. Location…1 November, 2015 by Gareth Marshall
We examine trends in the Southern Annular Mode (SAM), and the strength, position and width of the Southern Hemisphere surface westerly wind jet in observations, reanalyses and the Coupled Model…Read more on Comparing trends in the Southern Annular Mode and surface westerly jet
1 November, 2015 by Carlos Martin Garcia, Hamish Pritchard, Jonathan Kingslake, Keith Nicholls, Richard Hindmarsh, Robert Mulvaney, Richard Hindmarsh
Locally grounded features in ice shelves, called ice rises and rumples, play a key role buttressing discharge from the Antarctic Ice Sheet and regulating its contribution to sea level. Ice…1 November, 2015 by Hua Lu
Since the pioneering work of Bagnold in the 1940s, aeolian research has grown to become an integral part of earth-system science. Many individuals have contributed to this development, and Dr.…Read more on A tribute to Michael R. Raupach for contributions to aeolian fluid dynamics
1 November, 2015 by Peter Convey
Antarctica is an isolated continent whose conditions challenge the survival of living organisms. High levels of endemism are now known in many Antarctic organisms, including algae, tardigrades, nematodes and microarthropods.…Read more on Antarctic bdelloid rotifers: diversity, endemism and evolution
1 November, 2015 by Dominic Hodgson
Substantial parts of the beds of glaciers, ice sheets and ice caps are at the pressure melting point1. The resulting water harbours diverse subglacial microbial ecosystems2, 3 capable of affecting…Read more on Rock comminution as a source of hydrogen for subglacial ecosystems
1 November, 2015
The future ice dynamical contribution to sea-level rise (SLR) from 210 ice shelf nourishing drainage basins of the Antarctic Peninsula Ice Sheet (APIS) is simulated, using the British Antarctic Survey…Read more on Modelling ice dynamic contributions to sea level rise from the Antarctic Peninsula
1 November, 2015 by Daniel Bannister, John King
Average summer temperatures over South Georgia have risen by 1°C along with an increase in the rate of glacial retreat since the 1920s. Glaciers on the northeast of the island…Read more on Föhn winds on South Georgia and their impacts on regional climate
1 November, 2015 by Geraint Tarling
Studies carried out on a wide variety of Arctic species during the polar night reveal continued feeding, growth and reproduction, changing our view of this period from one of biological…Read more on Marine ecology: a wonderland of marine activity in the Arctic night
1 November, 2015 by David Vaughan, Hugh Corr, Keith Nicholls
The ApRES (autonomous phase-sensitive radio-echo sounder) instrument is a robust, lightweight and relatively inexpensive radar that has been designed to allow long-term, unattended monitoring of ice-shelf and ice-sheet thinning. We…1 November, 2015 by Dominic Hodgson
Background and aims – Non-marine diatom communities in the Antarctic Region are characterized by a typical species composition, dominated by a large number of Antarctic endemic species. Despite recent advances…30 October, 2015 by Markus Frey
Unraveling the modern budget of reactive nitrogen on the Antarctic plateau is critical for the interpretation of ice core records of nitrate. This requires accounting for nitrate recycling processes occurring…16 October, 2015 by Andrew Kavanagh
Modeling results have suggested that the circulation of the stratosphere and mesosphere in spring is strongly affected by the perturbations in heating induced by the Antarctic ozone hole. Here using…16 October, 2015 by David Newnham, Mark Clilverd
Magnetospheric substorms drive energetic electron precipitation into the Earth's atmosphere. We use the output from a substorm model to describe electron precipitation forcing of the atmosphere during an active substorm…Read more on Substorm-induced energetic electron precipitation: Impact on atmospheric chemistry
13 October, 2015 by Daniel Bannister
South Georgia is a small and mountainous island, located in the remote Southern Ocean. The island’s subantarctic climate is controlled by its location and steep orography; with 19 peaks over…Read more on Föhn winds on South Georgia and their impact on regional climate
4 October, 2015 by Martin Black, Peter Convey, Peter Fretwell
On the Antarctic Peninsula, lichens are the most diverse botanical component of the terrestrial ecosystem. However, detailed information on the distribution of lichens on the Antarctic Peninsula region is scarce,…1 October, 2015 by Peter Convey
Seabirds are among the most important vectors transferring biogenic compounds from the sea onto land in the polar regions and, consequently, influencing the properties of soil and vegetation. We studied…1 October, 2015 by Rosey Grant
The planar fit (PF) method is often recommended for long-term eddy covariance flux measurements because it offers a number of advantages over rotating into streamwise coordinates. For sites over complex,…Read more on A new continuous planar fit method for calculating fluxes in complex, forested terrain
1 October, 2015
The identification of year-round geographical ranges and the quantification of the degree of migratory connectivity are fundamental to the successful conservation of migratory bird populations. The Stone-curlew Burhinus oedicnemus is…1 October, 2015 by Jeremy Wilkinson
Small-scale (~100 to 200 m) deformations of an Arctic sea ice floe were detected from multiple GPS-equipped buoys that were deployed on the same ice floe. Over a nine-month period…Read more on Small-scale deformation of an Arctic sea ice floe detected by GPS and satellite imagery
1 October, 2015
So, what does a doctor on a Sub-Antarctic research station do with only 11 young and fit people as potential patients? I get asked that a lot and I’ll endeavour…1 October, 2015 by Richard Hindmarsh, Richard Hindmarsh
Reconstructing the growth and decay of palaeo-ice sheets is critical to understanding mechanisms of global climate change and associated sea-level fluctuations in the past, present and future. The significance of…Read more on On the reconstruction of palaeo-ice sheets: Recent advances and future challenges
1 October, 2015 by Kelly Hogan
Mapped topographic features are important for understanding processes that sculpt the Earth's surface. This paper presents maps that are the primary product of an exercise that brought together 27 researchers…Read more on Manual mapping of drumlins in synthetic landscapes to assess operator effectiveness
1 October, 2015 by Gareth Marshall, Paul Holland, Pierre Mathiot, Joakim Kjellsson
We examine the sensitivity of the Weddell and Ross seas to vertical mixing and surface freshwater forcing using an ocean–sea ice model. The high latitude Southern Ocean is very weakly…1 October, 2015 by Ed King
The measurement of ongoing ice-mass loss and associated melt water contribution to sea-level change from regions such as West Antarctica is dependent on a combination of remote sensing methods. A…1 October, 2015 by Katrin Linse
Recently discovered hydrothermal vent fields on the East Scotia Ridge (ESR, 56–60°S, 30°W), Southern Ocean, and the South West Indian Ridge (SWIR, 37°S 49°E), Indian Ocean, host two closely related…Read more on A new genus of large hydrothermal vent-endemic gastropod (Neomphalina: Peltospiridae)
1 October, 2015 by Geraint Tarling, Gabriele Stowasser, Peter Ward, Ryan Saunders
This study investigated spatial and temporal patterns in distribution, population structure and diet of Bolin's lanternfish Protomyctophum bolini, Tenison's lanternfish Protomyctophum tenisoni and gaptooth lanternfish Protomyctophum choriodon in the Scotia…Read more on Trophodynamics of Protomyctophum (Myctophidae) in the Scotia Sea (Southern Ocean)
1 October, 2015 by Robert Arthern
Ice-sheet models can be used to forecast ice losses from Antarctica and Greenland, but to fully quantify the risks associated with sea-level rise, probabilistic forecasts are needed. These require estimates…1 October, 2015 by Eugene Murphy
Analyses of satellite-derived chlorophyll data indicate that the phase of rapid phytoplankton population growth in the North Atlantic (the ‘spring bloom') is actually initiated in the winter rather than the…1 October, 2015 by John Turner
In situ observations, satellite imagery, numerical weather prediction, and reanalysis fields are used to investigate the synoptic and mesoscale environment of a strong wind event (SWE) at McMurdo Station/Ross Island…1 October, 2015 by Iain Staniland
Considerable uncertainties often surround the causes of long-term changes in population abundance. One striking example is the precipitous decline of southern sea lions (SSL; Otaria flavescens) at the Falkland Islands,…Read more on Disentangling the cause of a catastrophic population decline in a large marine mammal
1 October, 2015 by Alexander Brearley
The West Spitsbergen Current, which flows northward along the western Svalbard continental slope, transports warm and saline Atlantic water (AW) into the Arctic Ocean. A combined analysis of high-resolution seismic…Read more on Seismic reflection imaging of mixing processes in Fram Strait
29 September, 2015 by Iain Staniland
Background Although there have been recent advances in the development of animal-attached ‘proximity’ tags to remotely record the interactions of multiple individuals, the efficacy of these devices depends on the…23 September, 2015 by Kevin Newsham
The ever increasing microbial resistome means there is an urgent need for new antibiotics. Metagenomics is an underexploited tool in the field of drug discovery. In this study we aimed…21 September, 2015 by David Barnes
Climate forcing of sea-ice losses from the Arctic and West Antarctic are blueing the poles. These losses are accelerating, reducing Earth’s albedo and increasing heat absorption [1]. Subarctic forest (area…Read more on Antarctic sea ice losses drive gains in benthic carbon drawdown
15 September, 2015 by Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, James Smith, Robert Larter
Multibeam swath bathymetry data sets collected over the past two decades have been compiled to identify palaeo-ice stream pathways in the easternmost Amundsen Sea Embayment. We mapped ~ 3000 glacial…14 September, 2015 by David Pearce, Peter Convey
Recent advances in knowledge of patterns of biogeography in terrestrial eukaryotic organisms have led to a fundamental paradigm shift in understanding of the controls and history of life on land…Read more on Emerging spatial patterns in Antarctic prokaryotes
11 September, 2015 by Peter Convey
The global latitudinal gradient in biodiversity weakens in the high polar biome and so an alternative explanation for distribution of Arctic and Antarctic photoautotrophs is required. Here we identify how…Read more on Biogeography of photoautotrophs in the high polar biome
9 September, 2015 by Norman Ratcliffe, Philip Trathan
Feathers have been widely used to assess mercury contamination in birds as they reflect metal concentrations accumulated between successive moult periods: they are also easy to sample and have minimum…8 September, 2015 by Jaume Forcada
Chemical communication underpins virtually all aspects of vertebrate social life, yet remains poorly understood because of its highly complex mechanistic basis. We therefore used chemical fingerprinting of skin swabs and…7 September, 2015 by James Jordan
Physical processes in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are of great importance to the global climate system. This thesis considers two such processes, namely ice-ocean interaction in ice shelf basal…Read more on Modelling ice-ocean interactions in and around ice shelves
1 September, 2015 by Kevin Newsham
l-isomeric amino acids and oligopeptides are thought to represent a key nitrogen (N) source for plants and soil microorganisms, bypassing the need to take up inorganic N, whilst self-cycling of…1 September, 2015 by Teal Riley
Calculating reliable temperatures of Mg-rich magmas is problematic because melt composition and KD(Fe-Mg)ol-liq, the key parameters of many traditional thermometers, are difficult to constrain precisely. The recently developed Al-in-olivine thermometer…1 September, 2015
When conducting marine seismic surveys it is important to know the vertical profile of the seismic streamer. Typically the streamer has a density that is different from the seawater; therefore…Read more on The vertical shape of a buoyant acoustic streamer between depth control units
1 September, 2015 by Xin Yang
Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant that is known to have adverse effects on human health, and most human exposure to toxic methylmercury is through fish consumption. Soluble Hg compounds…1 September, 2015 by Michael Thorne, Melody Clark
The Brazilian oyster Crassostrea brasiliana was challenged to three common environmental contaminants: phenanthrene, diesel fuel water-accommodated fraction (WAF) and domestic sewage. Total RNA was extracted from the gill and digestive…1 September, 2015 by Richard Phillips
Aim Our current understanding of migratory strategies and the reasons for their high variability along the phylogenetic tree remains relatively poor. Most of the hypotheses relating to migration have been…1 September, 2015 by Jean-Baptiste Sallee
Understanding the responses of animals to the environment is crucial for identifying critical foraging habitat. Elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) from the Kerguelen Islands (49° 20’ S, 70° 20’ E) have…1 September, 2015 by Michael Dunn
Long-term monitoring of seabird numbers around Antarctica has revealed that the chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) is largely declining throughout its range in the Scotia Arc. Whether archipelagos across this large…1 September, 2015 by Peter Convey
Plants inhabiting extreme environments may possess features allowing them to tolerate sudden abrupt changes in their environment, a phenomenon often known as ‘adaptability.’ However, ability or success in developing adaptability…1 September, 2015 by Alexander Brearley
In this study, we demonstrate that oceanic vertical velocities can be estimated from individual mooring measurements, even for non-stationary flow. This result is obtained under three assumptions: i. weak diffusion…Read more on Vertical flow in the Southern Ocean estimated from individual moorings
1 September, 2015 by Damien Guihen, Jeremy Robst, Norman Ratcliffe, Peter Enderlein
Penguins, and many other seabirds, often nest in the open in large colonies, and so are amenable to aerial survey. UAVs offer a flexible and inexpensive method of achieving this…Read more on A protocol for the aerial survey of penguin colonies using UAVs
1 September, 2015 by Norman Ratcliffe, Philip Trathan
Mercury emissions have increased over the past decades affecting even remote areas such as Antarctica. As gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) breed on many of the islands surrounding Antarctica, foraging close…1 September, 2015 by Richard Phillips
Microsatellite loci are ideal for testing hypotheses relating to genetic segregation at fine spatio-temporal scales. They are also conserved among closely related species, making them potentially useful for clarifying interspecific…1 September, 2015 by Gareth Marshall, Thomas Bracegirdle
Strong relationships exist between the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) and surface air temperature (SAT) across much of Antarctica. Changes in the SAM will have a profound influence on future Antarctic…1 September, 2015 by Will Goodall-Copestake
Gene duplication and subsequent divergence can lead to the evolution of new functions and lineage specific traits. In sticklebacks, the successive duplication of the mucin-like gene (MUC19) into a tandemly-arrayed,…Read more on The molecular evolution of spiggin nesting glue in sticklebacks
1 September, 2015 by Peter Convey
Systematic surveys of the lichen floras of Schirmacher Oasis (Queen Maud Land, continental Antarctic), Victoria Land (Ross Sector, continental Antarctic) and Admiralty Bay (South Shetland Islands, maritime Antarctic) were compared…Read more on Contrasting patterns in lichen diversity in the continental and maritime Antarctic
1 September, 2015 by Pierre Mathiot
Current ocean models have relatively large errors and biases in the Southern Ocean. The aim of this study is to provide a reanalysis from 1985 to 2006 assimilating sea surface…1 September, 2015 by Hugh Corr
Despite the importance of ice streaming to the evaluation of West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) stability we know little about mid- to long-term dynamic changes within the Institute Ice Stream…1 September, 2015 by Robert Mulvaney
Climate changes in the North Atlantic region during the last glacial cycle were dominated by the slow waxing and waning of the North American ice sheet as well as by…1 September, 2015 by Jennifer Jackson
Capture-recapture studies offer a powerful tool to assess abundance, survival and population rate of change (λ). A previous capture-recapture study, based on DNA profiles, estimated that the IUCN-listed Endangered Oceania…1 September, 2015 by Jonathan Kingslake
In this paper we undertake a quantitative analysis of the dynamic process by which ice underneath a dry porous debris layer melts. We show that the incorporation of debris-layer airflow…1 September, 2015 by Alex Brisbourne, Andy Smith, Emma Smith, Hamish Pritchard
Flow dynamics of the ice streams that drain the Antarctic Ice Sheet are heavily influenced by processes at the bed. Natural seismic activity generated beneath an ice stream is associated…21 August, 2015 by Hilmar Gudmundsson, Sebastian Rosier
Observations show that the flow of Rutford Ice Stream (RIS) is strongly modulated by the ocean tides, with the strongest tidal response at the 14.77 day tidal period (Msf). This…21 August, 2015 by Kevin Hughes
Antarctic biodiversity and ecosystems are under threat from introduced non-native species. Currently the Antarctic Peninsula and off shore islands are the most invaded areas. Invasions are likely to increase, facilitated…Read more on Status of known non-native species introductions and impacts (updated)
20 August, 2015 by Eric Wolff
An important share of paleoclimatic information is buried within the lowermost layers of deep ice cores. Because improving our records further back in time is one of the main challenges…Read more on Retrieving the paleoclimactic signal from the deeper part of the EPICA Dome C ice core?
18 August, 2015 by David Vaughan
We use the BISICLES adaptive mesh ice sheet model to carry out one, two, and three century simulations of the fast-flowing ice streams of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Each…10 August, 2015 by Richard Horne
The introduction of all-electric propulsion satellites is a game-changer in the quest for low-cost access to space. It also raises new questions for satellite manufacturers, operators and the insurance industry…Read more on Space weather concerns for all‐electric propulsion satellites
7 August, 2015
Background Electronic medical record (EMR) systems are increasingly being adopted to support the delivery of health care in developing countries and their implementation can help to strengthen pathways of care…5 August, 2015 by Katrin Linse
Three new species of Sericosura (Pycnogonida: Ammotheidae) are described from recently discovered hydrothermal vents in the East Scotia Ridge, Southern Ocean: Sericosura bamberi sp. nov., S. dimorpha sp. nov. and…5 August, 2015 by Huw Griffiths
The case put by Alexei Smirnov in 2012 is accepted and the order name Synaptida Cuénot is adopted in place of Apodida Brandt. Two new Synaptida species are described for…1 August, 2015 by Joakim Kjellsson
This study finds that the global atmospheric circulation weakens, i.e. transports less mass, by about 5 % per degree of global warming as a result of anthropogenic emissions. This is…Read more on Weakening of the global atmospheric circulation with global warming
1 August, 2015 by Mark Clilverd, Roger Duthie, Roger Duthie
We find that during a large geomagnetic storm in October 2011 the trapped fluxes of >30, >100, and >300 keV outer radiation belt electrons were enhanced at L=3-4 during the…Read more on A case study of electron precipitation fluxes due to plasmaspheric hiss
1 August, 2015 by Paul Holland
Leads are cracks in sea ice that often form due to deformation. During winter months leads expose the ocean to the cold atmosphere resulting in supercooling and the formation of…1 August, 2015 by Kevin Hughes
King George Island, situated in the South Shetland Islands archipelago, is one of the most visited sites in Antarctica. This has contributed to a high density of scientific stations and…1 August, 2015 by Katrin Linse
The ‘scaly-foot gastropod’ is widely recognized as an iconic species of deep-sea hydrothermal vent ecosystems in the Indian Ocean. Uniquely among gastropods, this species carries hundreds of dermal sclerites on…1 August, 2015 by Kevin Newsham
Understanding relationships between environmental changes and soil microbial respiration is critical for predicting changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) fluxes and content. The maritime Antarctic is experiencing one of the…1 August, 2015 by Paul Rodhouse
Malcolm Roy Clarke, FRS (1930–2013) made lasting contributions to cephalopod biology through his productive research programme, his commitment to furthering cephalopod biology and his congenial spirit. His professional legacy includes…1 August, 2015 by Emma Woodfield, Richard Horne
Because of the role of Z-mode emission in the diffusive scattering and resonant acceleration of electrons, we conduct a survey of intensity in the Saturn inner magnetosphere. Z-mode is primarily…1 August, 2015 by Adrian Jenkins, Povl Abrahamsen, Michael Meredith
We present the first densely-sampled hydrographic survey of the Amundsen Sea Polynya (ASP) region, including a detailed characterization of its freshwater distributions. Multiple components contribute to the freshwater budget, including…1 August, 2015 by Paul Rodhouse
Cephalopods (Mollusca: Cephalopoda) play an important role as keystone invertebrates in various marine ecosystems, as well as being a valuable fisheries resource. At the World Malacological Congress, held 21–28 July…1 August, 2015 by Teresa Kyrke-Smith
Observations have long associated ice streams with the presence of meltwater at the bed. More recently, theoretical models have been able to reproduce ice stream behavior as a consequence of…Read more on Subglacial hydrology as a control on emergence, scale, and spacing of ice streams
1 August, 2015 by Povl Abrahamsen, Keith Nicholls
Temperature and salinity data collected around grounded tabular icebergs in Baffin Bay in 2011, 2012, and 2013 indicate wind-induced upwelling at certain locations around the icebergs. These data suggest that…Read more on Wind-driven upwelling around grounded tabular icebergs
30 July, 2015 by Robert Mulvaney
Volcanic eruptions contribute to climate variability, but quantifying these contributions has been limited by inconsistencies in the timing of atmospheric volcanic aerosol loading determined from ice cores and subsequent cooling…Read more on Timing and climate forcing of volcanic eruptions for the past 2,500 years
29 July, 2015 by Jean-Baptiste Sallee
Iron availability in the Southern Ocean controls phytoplankton growth, community composition and the uptake of atmospheric CO2 by the biological pump. The KEOPS-2 experiment took place around the Kerguelen plateau…28 July, 2015 by Jean-Baptiste Sallee
The seasonal cycle of phytoplankton biomass in the Southern Ocean (SO) is characterized by a period of rapid accumulation, known as bloom, that is typical of high-latitude regions. Recent studies…Read more on Onset, intensification, and decline of phytoplankton blooms in the Southern Ocean
28 July, 2015 by Mark Clilverd
Electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves have been suggested to be a cause of radiation belt electron loss to the atmosphere. Here simultaneous, magnetically conjugate measurements are presented of EMIC wave…27 July, 2015 by Anna Jones, Howard Roscoe, Neil Brough
Aerosol particle number concentrations have been measured at Halley and Neumayer on the Antarctic coast, since 2004 and 1984 respectively. Sulphur compounds known to be implicated in particle formation and…Read more on Particles and iodine compounds in coastal Antarctica
23 July, 2015 by Eric Wolff, Robert Mulvaney
Relief of iron (Fe) limitation in the Southern Ocean during ice ages, with potentially increased carbon storage in the ocean, has been invoked as one driver of glacial–interglacial atmospheric CO2…